LRG ACFT FLC THOUGHT FOREIGN CTLR CLRED THEM INTO POS AND HOLD AND READ BACK THOSE INSTRUCTIONS WHEN TAXIING ONTO THE RWY. TWR CTLR CLRED THEM FOR TKOF AND TOLD THEM THEY HAD NOT BEEN CLRED ONTO THE RWY.

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OUR FLT WAS NEXT IN LINE FOR TKOF ON RWY 12 AT CANCUN; MEXICO. THE TWR CTLR CALLED US; 'ACR A HOLD IN POS RWY 12.' THE FO READ BACK TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. I TAXIED THE ACFT ONTO THE ACTIVE. WE WERE ALSO ADVISED OF TFC ON A 4 1/2 MI FINAL FOR THE SAME RWY. I LOOKED BUT DID NOT SEE THE TFC. THEN THE CTLR TALKED TO ANOTHER ACFT IN SPANISH; THE OTHER ACFT ANSWERED WHICH TOOK MAYBE 30-45 SECONDS. AFTER WHICH THE CTLR CLRED US FOR TKOF AND ADDED THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED ONTO THE RWY. WHEN WE RECEIVED THE CLRNC TO HOLD IN POS RWY 12; I THOUGHT IT WAS AN ODD PHRASEOLOGY BUT THE FO READ BACK TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD AND THE CTLR SAID NOTHING. I AND THE CREW DID NOT REALIZE ANYTHING WAS WRONG UNTIL THE CTLR CLRED US FOR TKOF AND THEN ADDED THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED ONTO THE RWY. I DO NOT BELIEVE THERE WAS A CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER TFC AND NOTHING MORE WAS SAID. ALTHOUGH WE HAD BEEN ON DUTY SINCE XA00 THAT MORNING AND OUR FLT SEGMENTS DID NOT START UNTIL XK45; I DO NOT BELIEVE FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR. THE LANGUAGE DIFFERENCE AND THE CTLR'S PHRASEOLOGY WERE THE MAIN FACTORS IN THE COMS. IF THERE WAS ANY DOUBT ABOUT OUR UNDERSTANDING THE CLRNC TO HOLD IN POS RWY 12; IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLR TO THE CTLR WHEN THE READBACK CAME AS TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. UP TO THAT POINT WE WERE STOPPED SHORT OF THE RWY AND NOT GOING TO MOVE UNTIL ISSUED A CLRNC TO DO SO. IF THE CTLR DID NOT WANT US ON THE RWY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO HAVE SAID NOTHING.